Key Eras of Spanish Urbanization and City Growth

Contemporary Spanish Urbanization (19th-20th Centuries)

In the nineteenth century, the provincial division of Javier de Burgos in 1833 gave a boost to the cities chosen as provincial capitals. These cities benefited from the location of these administrations and services.

The nineteenth century was also the century when industrialization began, causing significant urban development. Mid-century population growth led to the demolition of city walls and the construction of extensions.

The first years of the 20th century represented a continuity in the growth of industrial cities, slowed only by the crisis of 1929 and the 1930s Civil War.

Urban growth recovered in the 1950s and accelerated in the next decade, especially in large cities that received immigration, such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao.

The economic crisis that began in 1973 marked the end of major internal migration and the rapid growth of large cities.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, it was observed that while some large cities like Madrid slowed their growth or even began to lose population, some southern cities maintained their level of growth.

In the last years of the twentieth century, nearly three-quarters of the Spanish population lived in cities. The process of urban population growth continued to the point that cities broke their boundaries and invaded the surrounding countryside. This phenomenon of urbanization of rural areas is known as rurubanization.

Today, rural communities located near the city, which formerly functioned as second homes, are increasingly being used as primary residences, provided they guarantee minimum services.

Early Modern Spanish Urban Development (16th-18th Centuries)

During the sixteenth century, the most important cities were Seville, Granada, and Valencia, followed at some distance by Barcelona and Valladolid. The decision during the reign of Philip II to set the capital in Madrid had a great impact on urban development. This decision determined the future backbone of the territory, established the layout of land transport networks converging on the capital, and created a radial road structure.

The seventeenth century acted as a brake on urban growth, characterized by stagnation or even population loss in many cities. The largest city remained Madrid, followed by Seville, Granada, and Valencia, while Barcelona lost ground and entered a phase of stagnation.

Urban development recovered during the eighteenth century, thanks to improved economic and demographic conditions favored by the reformism of the monarchy, especially under Charles II.

Madrid was the largest and most populous city, followed by Barcelona and Seville.